Reviews

War in Sorcery's Shadow: An Epic YA Fantasy by Elise Carlson

roxsannel's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 Ruarnon is back and they are travelling towards the Kingdom in the West, which is controlled by King Nartzeer, a sorcerer king who wants to rule over all other lands including the Tarlah and Zaldean lands of which Ruarnon is the joint King and Regent. Now that they have brought these two countries together in peace and finished their journey to the East, they are relaying their discoveries to their council, and they are something which had they not seen with their own eyes even they would not have believed it. 

The journey revealed the truth behind the myths of the Guardians and the magic which they wielded in order for them to use end the previous Sorcery War by removing all other magic and disappearing without a trace. The truth which was revealed is that the magic never left, people just stopped using it and instead fear grew in its place, however, they are now coming out of hiding because of King Nartzeer and his recruitment of them for his own aims. Meanwhile Linh and her Australian group are determined to find sorcerers who will help them to open the gateways back to their homeland. 

 Thus, Ruarnon is now following a path they have been set on to rescue their parents, family and captured soldiers who they now feel responsible for, but with a secondary aim with their allies of defeating Nartzeer, which is easier said than done with them having the most powerful sorcerers fighting against them, but the first thing that they must do it send scouting parties to gather essential information, however, the level of magic surrounding the coastline is higher than they could have imagined. 

As this dangerous journey commences and the paries split up to cover more ground, will Ruarnon, Linh and their allies find the answers they seek and be able to free the land from out from under King Nartzeer's rule, or will they be captured and enslaved like their kinsman? This is another epic adventure filled with tension, magic, truths, lies and loyalty as good and evil clash in a fight for land, people and the right to rule them. 

katmarsh83's review

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

War in Sorcery's Shadow by Elise Carlson is the 3rd and final book in the series. Although geared towards YA, it definitely appeals to an older audience as well. LGBTQ+ 
The 3rd book is a little slow to start off and it did take me a bit to get into it, more so than the others. Once it did pick up, however, it was hard to put down! Multiple POVs provide an interesting view point on a scene, which was really cool to see. Several chapters were technically the same event or part of the timeline, but different POV . Without spoilers, there were some twists that I did not expect (which I always enjoy) and I absolutely recommend it. 

shannlynn's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

This is such a bittersweet end for me because I have truly enjoyed every bit of this trilogy. I have gotten to enjoy one book per year and really soak it in. The amount of detail in each book is absolutely extraordinary and I feel like not a lot of authors pull it off well. Elise Carlson is definitely the exception to the rule. They have the ability to expertly craft a story with the most well-developed characters and plotline that I’ve come across yet. The trilogy will take you a bit to work through, but never once did it feel too heavy or pointlessly overloaded. I did find myself taking breaks every so often to really let the experience sink in before I continued onward. I adore the inclusivity throughout the trilogy with non-binary characters as well. It made my heart soar! I would not attempt to read this book without the first two because it is detrimental to the storyline and experience altogether. These are aimed for a younger crowd than I, but it still knocked me off my feet. I highly recommend this entire trilogy!

rosemccaskey's review

adventurous medium-paced

4.0

This book has just about everything you would want in a fantasy book. It has magic, adventure, dragons, and so much more. I liked this book because it was a great ride. I haven't read the first two books but will check them out now after this book. Some of the names were a bit hard to pronounce but that is always easy to fix with a quick Google search. 

tarajohnson's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

War in Sorcery's Shadow is the Third and Final Book in the Ruarnon Trilogy. It is an all-inclusive YA fantasy with LGBTQ and non-binary characters. The story is full of sorcery, magic, adventure, action, drama, secrets, lies, guardians, myths and prophecies. I recommend reading the first two books in this series as they lead up to this book which picks up where the second one left off. The stakes are high in the conclusion to this epic series and the characters are faced with some major challenges that will challenge them in ways like never before. Ruarnon and their friends are in a race against time as they try to get to those that have been lied to while trying to battle the evil intent on destroying them. It is up to Ruarnon and Linh to get to these people and save them before they destroy one another. Tensions are high and the chaos threatens to destroy everything in its path. This was a great series with well written characters and vividly written scenes that fully immerse you into the story alongside the characters. I highly recommend this fantasy series that will appeal to readers of all ages. 

tytanmom23's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

War in Sorcery’s Shadow (Ruarnon Trilogy Book 3) by Elise Carlson. This is the 3rd and final story in this young adult,fantasy series. It picks right back up where the second book left off and I highly recommend reading them in order to better understand the characters and story. Everything is coming to a head as the final war is coming Ruarnon and their friends race against time to warn everyone about the lies they have been fed. Fighting against the people trying to annihilate them will they be able to survive and reach their friends before the enemy does? Nartzeer thought they had done away with all the magic wielders but they lived in hiding. Will Nartzeer be able to win or will Ruarnon and their friends be able to overcome. Magic, sorcery, murder and chaos ensues. Such a good young adult, non binary, fantasy story. 

fosully's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 War in Sorcery’s Shadow is the third book in the Ruarnon Trilogy of Epic Fantasy. It’s aimed at a YA audience but will appeal to older fantasy lovers as well! This trilogy should definitely be read in order, so begin with Manipulator’s War to get to know the world and the characters, and watch them develop.

I was initially drawn to this series by the non binary protagonist, Ruarnon, who uses they/them pronouns. It’s always a treat to come across non binary characters! Ruarnon’s gender identity is a part of who they are, and influences how they are as a ruler, but there is so much to their character and it is not regularly drawn attention to. I particularly like moments when they note how effortlessly another character uses their pronouns.

Another thing I enjoyed in this book was the focus on neurodiversity. We see it as something that shapes the choices characters make, and their magic. There are examples of characters who have developed magic to help others cope with sensory issues. This is a wonderfully inclusive fantasy world and I’m so here for it!

I’d recommend this series to fantasy lovers who enjoy epic, magical worlds that are inclusive enough they can imagine themselves finding a place there. It gets five stars from me!

deb_j's review

3.0

 

Book 3 in the Ruarnon Trilogy

The final book in the trilogy- Should NOT be read as a stand-alone.

A YA LGBTQIA+ fantasy book full of magic, drama, secrets plus so much more. All pronouns and relations to the main character are in the first couple of pages of the book to help while reading. Even with those details reading this book without reading the others first is still difficult since the first two have a lot of important information, character introductions/building, and back story. 

Even though I didn’t read the first two books in this series (and was lost at some parts); I was still able to enjoy this book. Between the challenges the MCs faced and the adventures (alongside the magic/drama/secrets), this book was hard to put down. Now I need to go back and start from book 1 so I can enjoy the full beauty of this really well-written story.

 

bilberrysweet's review

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The third and final book in this trilogy wraps everything up nicely. This fast paced novel is full of engaging characters who face major challenges. There is plenty of adventure and intrigue to keep the reader turning the pages. Although you could read this book as a stand alone, I would recommend starting with book one to fully appreciate the story. 

tracyreadslots's review

4.0

A really good continuation to the series, this is the third book in the Ruarnons trilogy, and this book (best read in order) continues where the others have started. The world building is very descriptive and the character development is well done, you can visualise Linh and Ruarnon work together to bring unity to the people before they destroy each other, The disappearance of the magic wielders and the practitioners in hiding, the army being amassed keep you hooked from start to finish.